How do You stand it, God? To watch Your people, Your children suffer? How do You watch the violence of mans’ inhumanity to man, the ugliness and the aftermath of the destruction and the violence of earthquakes, hurricanes, floods and tornados leaving a death count total only a “number given”. How do You watch a glimmer of expectancy and the hope that still lives in the eyes and the hearts of the survivors? Only You know the answer to their questions.

How do You stand it God? How do You watch the corruption, the murders, the child abuse and the lack of loving care inflicted upon the frail and elderly? The people who live somewhere within their minds where we cannot follow and where they have no memory. The young ... the innocent, the vulnerable ones ... the babies, the children ... and those who are lost and without purpose ... searching for they know not what?

As I watch the pain and suffering endured by my family and friends I think of You, and I wonder ... “How did You stand it, God?” One word from You would have released Jesus from the cross. You could have held Him in Your arms and said, “We’ll find another way, Son. But You didn’t. How did You watch the pain and cruelty of crucifixion that He endured? When He took the sin of the world upon His shoulders, and the bond of intimacy and fellowship between the two of You was temporarily broken, did You look away? When He cried out to You, in a voice weakened from pain and filled with despair, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me?” Did You weep?

How do You stand it God? How do You watch the filth that is tolerated and approved, the evil and the darkness that seems to flourish and escalate in this world that You made with so much beauty? Where is the fulfillment of Your promise, God? Your promise of love, Your promise of safety and an abundant way of life? You could change it all, God, with a flick of Your eyelash, a snap of Your finger, a word, a command, even a thought from You could send this world into oblivion.

How long will You show this nation favor, God? Does your anger even now burn hotly?

“When he opened the seventh seal, there was silencein heaven for about half an hour.” Rev 8:1 NIV

Thirty minutes of silence! Why, God, what is taking place in heaven? Even the angels are silent, they are not calling out to one another,“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord, Almighty; the whole earth is fully of His glory”. Isaiah 6:3 NIV

Why do I question You, God when I know the answer is because You are GOD! You wrote The Book! You know the beginning and the end and everything in between. To You there are no mysteries, You know the secrets of time eternal. And one day I’ll see You, and I will then be permitted to ask all of my questions to You ... but somehow I know that all of my questions will be as insignificant as the once valued treasures of my childhood, for I will be bathed in the warmth of Your love, and I will have complete peace.

But in my world of here and now, today and my allotted tomorrows, my prayer is that the Holy Spirit will open our eyes, our minds and our hearts and instill the gift of understanding of Your Word within Your children, enabling us to then be able to communicate to others the love of Jesus and why He came to this world more than 2000 years ago with the greatest gift of all. His gift of eternal life for everyone.

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways.”
declares the Lord.
As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are My ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:8-9 NIV